2018-2019 MENTORS

2017-2018 Fellows & mentors

Allen will be working with Mentor, writer and archivist Che Gossett on composing a collection of sci-fi poems about a United States of America after Reparations.

EAMES ARMSTRONGFELLOW | CURATORIAL PRACTICE

MARGARET EWINGMENTOR | CURATORIAL PRACTICE

Armstrong will be working with Mentor, curator Margaret Ewing on "Grimoire," a curatorial project that considers performance scores alongside texts for spell casting.

DAVID ANTONIO CRUZFELLOW | VISUAL ART

NEIL GOLDBERGMENTOR | VISUAL ART

Cruz will be working with Mentor, visual artist Neil Goldberg to develop and expand on a series of drawings and an operatic performance based on ethnographic photographs and the Black Diaries by the British consul and Irish Nationalist Roger Casement.

MARCO DASILVAFELLOW | VISUAL ART

LIZ COLLINSMENTOR | VISUAL ART

DaSilva will be working with Mentor, artist and designer Liz Collins on a sculptural series that explores the manic experience through notions of dreams of grandeur, opulence, and excess across different socioeconomic perspectives.

FEDERICA GIANNIFELLOW | FILM

ROSE TROCHEMENTOR | FILM

Gianni will be working with Mentor, filmmaker Rose Troche on a queer coming of age story about first love, family, and addiction set in a Pasolinian beach town in the outskirts of Rome.

LUCAS HABTEFELLOW | FILM

FRÉDÉRIC TCHENGMENTOR | FILM

Habte will be working with Mentor, filmmaker Frédéric Tcheng on an autobiographical documentary feature detailing the story of his romantic relationship with a young man in Addis Ababa before and after he flees homophobic threats to become France’s first LGBT refugee from Ethiopia.

RYAN HADDADFELLOW | PERFORMANCE

MOE ANGELOSMENTOR | PERFORMANCE

Haddad will be working with Mentor, performer/writer Moe Angelos on a play that will explore the significance ofintergenerational gay mentorship and a family’s evolution over thirty years through the story of Charlie, Haddad's eccentric gay uncle who loves theater and happens to be a dentist.

LAMYA HAQFELLOW | LITERATURE

NAOMI JACKSONMENTOR | LITERATURE

Haq will be working with Mentor, author Naomi Jackson on a memoir about being a queer brown Muslim immigrant woman in the United States.

JARRETT KEYFELLOW | PERFORMANCE

DAVID THOMSONMENTOR | PERFORMANCE

Key will be working with Mentor, performer/creator David Thomson on a series of performance installations (hair paintings) reimagining the rituals, narratives, and legacy of his grandmother, Ruth Mae “Polka Dot” Giles.

MADSEN MINAXFELLOW | FILM

KIMBERLY REEDMENTOR | FILM

Minax will be working with Mentor, filmmaker Kimberly Reed on a feature length hybrid documentary film, which traces the story of his nieces unexplained death, his brother-in- law’s false incarceration for her murder, and how his family’s turn to Mormonism poses conflicts for his transgender identity.

ZOE SCHLACTERFELLOW | VISUAL ART

C. FINLEYMENTOR | VISUAL ART

Schlacter will be working with Mentor, artist and curator C. Finley to construct a wardrobe for a drag king alter ego character, exploring the potential for a wardrobe to act as an alternative archive of gender and self-expression.

About

Mission

QUEER|ART|MENTORSHIP was founded to develop an intergenerational and interdisciplinary network of support and shared knowledge for LGBTQ artists. The program nurtures exchange between artists at all levels of their careers, working against a natural segregation between generations and disciplines.

Structure

The program is a year in length. Fellows in Film, Performance, Literature, and Visual Art apply with a specific project they would like to work on during the program. Proposing a project is a way for Fellows to introduce themselves to Mentors, and working on that project in dialogue with a Mentor is a way to focus the development of the relationship. Keeping Queer|Art|Mentorship project-based also provides a manner by which to assess, and modify if necessary, the program’s long-term effectiveness in facilitating and supporting the actual creation of new work. Meanwhile, Fellows in Curatorial Practice apply to participate in the program as a curator-in-residence (more details below).

The program is largely driven by the unique character of each Mentor/Fellow pairing, organized through individual monthly meetings. Fellows also meet each month as a group in an environment that provides an opportunity for sharing ideas across disciplines and gathering further support among peers. The entire group of Mentor/Fellow pairs also convenes for two dinners throughout the cycle, hosted by Queer|Art. Throughout the year, Queer|Art staff engage in an ongoing dialogue with the Mentors and Fellows in an effort to ensure that the program best serves its participants. Further opportunities for ongoing career education and development will be sought out as the unique needs of each group of Fellows are assessed.

The program culminates with a public showcase in the format of an exhibition, live event, and accompany publication—known as the QAM Annual—in which a manifestation of each Fellow’s project will be presented. While projects may be in-progress and do not need to be “finished” by the end of the program, participation in the QAM Annual provides structure for marking tangible progress as an outcome of the program.

Fellows in Curatorial Practice can expect to engage with their peers working in Film, Literature, Performance, and Visual Art throughout the program and take a leading role in the curatorial process for organizing the QAM Annual, which has its own dedicated budget. Working closely with their Mentor and Queer|Art staff, Curatorial Fellows gain valuable experience engaging with artists across different fields of creative practice and will have completed the planning and production of an exhibition, live event, and accompanying publication as a guaranteed outcome of their fellowship.

History & Context

Queer|Art|Mentorshipwas born of a need to address the lack of support for queer content in a variety of cultural sectors and the scarcity of examples of sustainable careers for LGBTQ artists. A sensitivity to the absence of mentors who would have emerged from the generation most strongly affected by AIDS is also a palpable and driving force behind the program. The program launched in 2011.

Queer|Art|Mentorship aims to expand the perceived value of queer work and cultivate a collection of voices that amplify queer artistic experience. As New York City is a locus of creative capital in the US and abroad, the work encouraged by the program will radiate out and impact the broader culture as well. The program does not expect any kind of specific content in terms of artists’ work or how queerness manifests within and around it.

Who should apply?

Artists must be working at a generative level within at least one of the following fields:

• Film • Literature • Performance • Visual Art • Curatorial Practice

Queer|Art|Mentorship is for artists who are:

• self-identified as queer, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender • New York City-based • early-career and professionally focused, with a body of work already behind them • Not currently enrolled in school or university • Have a specific project they’d like to work on with a mentor during the 2018-2019 Mentorship cycle.

(Note: The project application requirement for Fellows in Curatorial Practice is as a curator-in-residence. See below.)

Most importantly, we are looking for artists and curators who have an extraordinary potential for engagement in queer and artistic communities and would gain from, and add to, interaction with others.

Beginning with the 2018-2019 cycle of Queer|Art|Mentorship, prospective Fellows in Curatorial Practice will apply to participate as a curator-in-residence during the program. As such, they can expect to engage with their peers working in Film, Literature, Performance, and Visual Art and take a leading role in the curatorial process for organizing the annual public exhibition at the culmination of the program. Working closely with their Mentor and Queer|Art staff, Curatorial Fellows, under this new model, gain important experience working with artists across different fields of creative practice and will have completed the planning and production of an exhibition, live event, and accompanying publication as a guaranteed outcome of their fellowship.

We look for artists who stand to receive maximum benefit from the resources of the program and bring diverse experiences and perspectives to the Queer|Art community.

Each Mentor chooses the Fellow they will be working with during the program. Applicants selected to participate in the program receive year-long support (October 2018-November 2019) with once-a-month meetings with their Mentor. Fellows also meet monthly as a group, further engaging with a community of artistic peers across disciplines.

APPLY

Applications for the 2018-2019 cycle are now closed.

1) SUBMIT INTENT TO APPLY

Before you can receive the application you must submit a simple Intention to Apply. All that is required for this form is your name, email address, and the field(s) you are applying in. Once submitted you will receive an email with a link to complete the application process.

After completing the Intent to Apply you will be emailed a link to submit required application materials through an online application form. The completed application, including submitted letters of recommendation, will be due by July 18, 2018. We strongly recommend asking for LORs in advance, do not wait until the last minute.

Applicants may preview required content for applications using the link below.

The application fee covers an additional charge for individual use of SlideRoom, the online software we use to organize applications. The fee does not profit Queer|Art.

3) ACCEPTANCE

Mentors convene in September with Queer|Art staff to review applications and make selections as a group for inviting applicants to participate in the program. The program generally accepts 10 Fellows each year, with approximately 2 Fellows selected per field (Film, Literature, Performance, Visual Art, or Curatorial Practice). All applicants will be notified as to the status of their application by October 1st.

4) DURATION

The program cycle is 13 months, beginning in October 2018 and culminates with the QAM Annual at the end of the following year, which will take place in November 2019.

QUESTIONS?

Please carefully review our Frequently Asked Questions at the link below before contacting us with questions about the program or application process. Thank you!